Here is the article from the local paper concerning that car chase. They were off on where the chase started and the time but the rest is right as far as I know.
Protracted car chase ends in capture
By Susan Winlow | Daily Republic | January 22, 2010 23:27
FAIRFIELD - A suspect in a Vallejo attempted murder investigation led police on a relentless chase through the streets of Fairfield Friday afternoon.
Surrounded by police and the SWAT team, Shawn Morita, 24, a parolee, was arrested without incident about 4:30 p.m. as he exited an apartment unit on Peachtree Drive after allegedly holding two girls, ages 6 and 3, hostage.
The chase began about 3 p.m. after police spotted Morita near East Tabor Avenue and North Texas Street. Police attempted to make a traffic stop, but Morita kept going, Lt. Bob Bunting said.
'From there we had a long pursuit,' he added.
The chase, with Morita in an orange Ford Expedition, wound through streets such as Air Base Parkway, East Travis Boulevard, Dover Avenue, San Remo Street, Coolidge and Eisenhower streets, Kidder Avenue and Heath Drive.
Witnesses said a woman also was in the vehicle as the pursuit began. Andre, a San Carlos Street resident who declined to be identified further, said the woman got out of the vehicle near San Bruno and San Carlos streets.
'He was going in circles,' Andre said. 'We kept thinking 'what is he doing?' '
Estimated speeds were from 30 to 50 mph, Bunting said. Morita allegedly rammed police vehicles and multiple parked cars during the chase. He also ran stop signs, ran through planters and medians to avoid capture. He allegedly threw things out of the vehicle during the pursuit.
Police used spike strips to puncture the vehicle's tires and even attempted a road block to keep Morita out of populated areas, a police press release stated.
'He was relentless in not stopping,' Bunting said.
During the chase two police vehicles got into a minor collision with each other, said Lt. Darrin Moody. The accident occurred near the intersection of East Travis Boulevard and Eisenhower Street.
Police stopped the pursuit in the North Texas Street and East Pacific Avenue area when aircraft followed Morita who ended his run in Isaac Cerna's apartment unit.
Witnesses and Cerna led police to Morita. Police set a perimeter around the complex, located on the 2300 block of Peachtree Drive, and shut down the street to vehicle traffic during the standoff.
Cerna, 32, the father of the two girls held hostage, was acquainted with Morita years prior through Morita's grandmother, Cerna said.
'I knew him when he was a baby,' he said.
Cerna said that prior to the incident his wife called him and alerted him to the chase, and when Cerna heard 'loud screeches' he went outside his apartment -- located in the back of the complex -- to investigate.
'He ran right by me . . . my (apartment) door was open,' Cerna said, adding that his 'babies' were inside. 'He went in and shut the door.'
Police persuaded Morita to give himself up by negotiating through a public address system, Bunting said, adding that Morita allegedly refused to release the girls without further negotiations.
It was unclear if Morita was armed at the time of his arrest, but he is known to carry weapons, Bunting said.
The incident is still under investigation. One police officer was treated and released at a hospital for minor injuries.
'We have a lot of work to do,' Bunting said. 'It's a big mess.'
Morita was wanted in connection with a Nov. 11, 2009, shooting. In that incident, Morita allegedly fired several shots at a mother and daughter hitting the mother, Moody said. The daughter was not injured.
Morita was booked for numerous charges involving the pursuit in addition to the outstanding warrant for the Vallejo shooting.
No damage other than a scratch thankfully.
